


Undone

by DreamingBunny



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 08:41:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15991667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingBunny/pseuds/DreamingBunny
Summary: What happened after Link's final battle with Calamity Gannon and his reunion with Princess Zelda?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoy. This is my first fanfic in years and my first one in the Zelda fandom. I had to write it after playing Breath of the Wild.
> 
> Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. I do not own these characters or the settings.

The princess had never looked more like an angel; she was literally glowing in front of him. After weeks of fighting monsters and seeing the ruins of their kingdom, it was a blessing to see the princess again. She had such a determination in her stance. Honestly, he was also surprised she hadn't aged a day. She looked the exact same as when he had last seen her.

Calamity Gannon roared and charged at the princess. Link lifted his sword and started racing towards her, ready to defend her. She lifted her hand, and the glow around her shined even brighter. Link narrowed his eyes, but then they widened again in shock. Calamity Gannon was being sucked up into a ball! And then, he was gone. The princess lowered her hand, the triforce symbol fading back into nothingness.

The clouds above them broke and melted away. He saw the blue skies again, skies that he thought he would never be able to see again. He sheathed his sword, almost reluctantly. Was it truly over? 

Then, the princess turned and looked at him. He could see the many emotions swirling around in her eyes, mainly tiredness and relief. 

“I have to ask, do you really remember me?” She heard him ask. He nodded yes, and her smile grew bright. She ran to him. He opened his arms, and she jumped in them. He wondered when the last time she had had another Hylian touch her. He realized it had been over one hundred years since that happened. No wonder her embrace was so tight. He hugged her even tighter to let her know he was here, he was real, and he was never going to leave her side again. He would make sure of it. The memory of their last few embraces flashed through his mind. The memories of them fleeing Hyrule Castle, just trying to get as far away as they could to be able to regroup. The memory of her collapsing in tears. The memory of her protecting him as he was determined to give his life for her.

All of that was over now. All of that heartache was worth it. They were all safe now.  
He wondered about the Hylian in his arms. Would she be okay? Would see have nightmares like him or even worse because she had been with Calamity Gannon for one hundred years? Link had been in many battles that really messed with his mind after, but none could compare with the pure malice radiating from Calamity Gannon.

Sure enough, the princess began crying. He rubbed her back as she cried tears of joy and tears of sorrow. He silently vowed to be beside her as she moved through her grief and fears. Even though she had watched over them, had she truly seen Hyrule Castle, her home, in ruins? He knew he would know all too soon once she could go through all of these emotions.

\----

She knew Hyrule Castle had been destroyed. She remembered it from one hundred years ago. But to see the ruins up close was different. To go through the rooms and find so much destruction was horrifying to her; yet, as they ventured deeper and deeper into the castle, she started getting used to it and started becoming numb. She was just too sad to really have emotions at this point. In her room, a few of her things remained untouched, such as her diary. She picked it up, and put it in a leather bag she found nearby that had stood the test of time. She found a few more things that had lasted and put them in the bag too. Earlier Link had offered her the Sheikah Slate. Her mind was too overwhelmed right now, she told him. She would have to take it back later once she could think a little more clearly.

And then it was time to leave the castle. Link had suggested they stay with Kakariko Village. He knew Impa would love to see the princess again, and she agreed. She would love to see her old friend again too.

On the way out of the castle, she saw a mirror and really looked at herself for the first time. She thought she looked very good for being one hundred and seventeen years old. Link also had not aged one bit. Zelda thought perhaps the triforce had kept them looking and feeling young. Maybe the triforce wanted them to help rebuild Hyrule, which Zelda was more than willing to do.

She hoped her presence and knowledge of the guardians would be enough. With Link by her side, she thought anything would be possible.

\-----

It was night time at Impa’s house. Impa and Zelda both cried at their reunion. Zelda was very gracious for the bath and new clothes Impa had provided. Years ago Impa had made her a new set of her favorite clothes just in case Zelda was to return. Zelda was very appreciative and couldn’t stop thanking her. Impa declared that her guards would keep visitors at bay until Zelda was ready to see them. Zelda thanked her old friend and said she would likely see the people again tomorrow. She only needed one night’s rest.

“Are you sure? After that long battle, you deserve to rest,” Impa gently said.

“I’ll be alright. I’m eager to think about something else,” Zelda replied.

When it was finally time for bed, Zelda felt a little apprehensive. How easily would she go to sleep? It would be the first time in one hundred years that she actually fell asleep. She was worried until she finally laid down. Sleep came all too easily for her.

\--------

Link heard movement on the bed next to his. He had been trained to be a light sleeper just in case an enemy snuck up on him. He never knew if a bokoblin were to sneak up on him. He sat up and looked at his sleeping princess. She was tossing and turning in her sleep. She was also talking in her sleep. What horrors had she seen while fighting Calamity Gannon?  
He gently touched her hand, hoping maybe that would calm her. It didn’t work very well. He wondered if he should hold her or try to wake her. He hated to wake her as it was the first time in a century she had actually slept. He wondered if she would be rather narcoleptic as opposed to his insomnia. He decided to climb into bed next to her as he would wake up before her.

“You’re safe,” Link whispered into Zelda’s ear. “He’s gone. He can’t hurt you anymore.” Link kept whispering over and over as the tension slowly dissipated in Zelda’s body. Once she was finally fully calm again, Link couldn’t help but gaze at her sleeping face. He could still barely believe they were together again after all those years. He could barely believe that all of it was real. Soon it would hopefully be like a bad dream that everyone had to recover from. The blood moons would hopefully cease restoring monsters from the dead, and his princess would be safe.

He knew that deep down, the princess had grown to care for him. He could see it in her eyes and actions. They were good friends. Zelda was the only person who knew his feelings on some things. It probably helped that they were bonded together by the triforce. Yet Link felt like he was able to open up to the princess. She had treated him like a normal Hylian, not her chosen knight. That was after he saved her from the Yiga Clan. Since then she had been kinder to him and actively tried to get him to talk. He smiled at the memory of her trying to get him to eat a frog. She was creative in her methods to get him to talk all right.

He laid his head down in preparation to sleep. Normally it took his brain a while to allow him sleep. This night, next to the one he had fought so hard to save, he fell asleep easily. They were finally safe.

He fell asleep hoping tomorrow Zelda would be better. Hopefully tomorrow the nightmares would cease, even though he knew from experience they could get much worse and horribly affect the most hardened soldiers all day long. Hopefully tomorrow she could start to find true peace.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link starts to see that Zelda isn't okay in the daytime either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. Thank you so much for all of the kudos! Here is the next chapter of Undone. Sorry it's a little late. I have also been working on another fanfic for Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir and working on plotting my original story.

CHAPTER TWO

Link was thankful he slept rather lightly, even though it felt like he had slept a little more deeply than he had lately. He felt rather rested as the princess stirred beside him. He quickly and quietly removed himself from her bed and went to his cot on the floor so she wouldn’t get any ideas. He was protecting her the best he knew how, and he didn’t know how she would feel about that. He pretended to be asleep again when she turned around and opened her eyes.

“Good morning,” Zelda told him. Link opened his eyes and replied the same. “Did you sleep well last night?” She asked him. He nodded yes. “I’m so glad. I myself had some bad dreams, but they went away. I’m thankful to the goddess for that.” Link gave her a small smile. He knew what had caused the dreams to go away, but he wouldn’t tell her. It wasn’t time for that yet.

“Are you ready for breakfast?” Zelda asked. “I’m beginning to really feel hungry again. I guess after all of that time, I need to try to eat to help get used to being back in this world again,” Zelda said. Link nodded, and they both stood. He was rather thankful she still talked enough for the both of them. Link decided to leave the room first so she could have a little bit of privacy as she changed from her sleeping clothes into her favorite blue traveling outfit. He usually slept in a basic Hylian tunic and pants to allow him to rise easily and fight if necessary. He was taught that at a young age in the castle barracks. 

Link looked down at the floor, allowing himself to remember his old friends in this quiet moment. They had all been wonderful men to work alongside with. Now they were all dead. The pain ebbed at his heart, like everything else did. He slowly breathed and did his best to bury the pain. It was something he had to learn to do in the barracks when a comrade died. The pressure was even worse when he had become chosen to be the Hero of Hyrule. There was barely an hour that had gone by when some horrible thought crossed his mind. The burden was sometimes almost too much to bear. He leaned against the door and listened to Zelda praying to the goddess. It was the first time he heard the princess truly thanking the goddess for saving them instead of pleading for the sealing power to awaken. Instead of her prayers being full of sadness and anger, it was full of joy.

Link closed his eyes and smiled. While he hid all of his burdens by not talking much, Zelda seemed to be the opposite. She buried herself in research dedicated to bettering all of Hyrule, not just herself, and talked endlessly of her research, down to the minute details of which plants grew in which regions. They seemed to balance each other out quite nicely; his near muteness with her talking for the both of them almost nonstop. However, after the destruction of the castle, she finally allowed most of her burdens out as they were just about to die. All he could do was hold her as she unleashed her burdens upon him for what they thought would be the last time. He knew she was tired of begging to awaken her sleeping powers. There had been many times when she let her guard down, especially if Urbosa was around. 

Then, Zelda was ready. She opened the door and smiled warmly at him. Together they walked down the stairs.

Impa’s granddaughter Paya was fixing breakfast and asked if they would like some eggs. Both Zelda and Link wanted some and thanked her for them when they were ready. Paya apologized that they wouldn’t be the same quality as the eggs would have been in Castle Hyrule.

“Oh don’t you worry about that. These are the most amazing eggs I’ve had in a hundred years.” Zelda gave Paya a smile. Paya thanked her for the compliment. Then, Paya blushed and hid her face.

“Oh dear,” Paya said. “These are the only eggs you’ve had since the battle with Calamity Ganon started.” Zelda laughed.

“Yes, but they’re still very good.” She gave a warm smile. Link couldn’t help but smile at the conversation. The princess had made her first joke. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all. Maybe she was strong enough to overcome the horrors in her mind during the daylight hours. Had maybe the magic of the goddess protected her mind all of these years?

“I know you said you were willing to see people today,” Impa said. “We thought it best to keep the amount of people small. That way, if you get tired, you can easily get rest. There are many here in Kakariko who wish to see you again,” Impa said. Link saw the princess straighten in her chair. She easily slipped back into her role as leader of her people from the young woman he traveled with.

“I would like an hour’s break before I see anyone this morning,” Zelda said. “ I think you are very wise to limit my audience today, even though I’m overjoyed to be back.”

“Thank you, your highness,” Impa said. “We can easily give you as much time as you need. For now, just focus on finishing your breakfast. Would you like juice or milk with your eggs?”

As Zelda gave her response and continued eating, Link noticed in her body language that she hadn’t calmed down. On the contrary, he could see that she had a large weight on her shoulders, and her mind was going miles a minute. What all was she thinking of? He knew that she had kept watch over him all of these years. What else had she kept watch over? Had she seen everything or just the area around him during his travels to regain his memories and abilities?

There was no way to know until he asked her. And that was something he didn’t fully want to know right now. 

She finished her breakfast. She thanked Paya for the meal and for hers and Impa’s hospitality. Link could see in her eyes that her mind was focused elsewhere, and he wondered where. He watched as she excused herself from the table, stood, and walked to the stairs. He saw her grab her elbows with her hands. Something was wrong. Impa gave him a quick nod of understanding. He quickly stood and silently followed her. 

He got to the top of the staircase when he heard the panicked breathing and beginning of crying. His heart sank in his chest. His arms ached to hold her again, but would she let im? Doubt filled his mind and heart. It was easy to comfort a fellow swordsman. How could he comfort his princess, and would she even let him? Ever so slowly his feet shuffled forward. His hand trembled lightly. With a few deep breaths, he willed himself to calm down. At the end of the day, she was just a Hylian. She was the Hylian he was chosen to protect. He was her champion. The enemy was now inside of her mind, and he would do everything in his power to help her.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Everything was spinning. Red filled her vision. She frantically breathed. Ganon was back! His calamity surrounded her, blocking everything from view. She called upon her sealing power, but nothing came--there was no power left. Ganon’s cold laughter filled her mind. She was doomed; he would finally win.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder. She whirled around and threw a punch at whoever was behind her. The same hand that was on her moved to catch hers. She gasped as she looked into Link’s eyes.

“Link, you must help me. He’s back!” Zelda said. “I didn’t seal him away.” 

“Zelda, you’re safe,” Link spoke gently. Why was he not freaking out like she was? What was going on? 

“But he’s here. I heard him. I see the contamination everywhere.”

“You sealed Ganon away. You raised your hand, and the Triforce symbol glowed on it. Then he vanished into a black hole, and the world became normal again. You defeated him. You’re safe. We’re all safe now thanks to you.”

Zelda stared at Link. What he said made sense. She remembered all of those events. Why then was the contamination here? It wasn’t here earlier. 

“Come with me,” Link said. He offered her his hand. “Please trust me.” His voice was a little above a whisper. She was confused. He had never offered her his hand before except to dismount a horse. Their hands met, and her face felt warm.

Link led her to their room, and then he opened a window. 

“Look outside,” Link said. She did. The sunlight warmed her skin. Her hair lifted in the light breeze. The birds sang their delightful tunes. In the distance, children laughed. She inhaled the scent of delicious food. Water glided over rocks and in the riverbed. 

Calm filled her soul.

Link was right. Ganon was gone for the foreseeable future. Now was a time to relax and rebuild the kingdom.

“Link, what happened to me?” She looked at him. He continued to look out of the window as he began to speak.

“When I was younger, I was taught that sometimes after a particularly gruesome battle, it’s not just your body that has to recover. Your mind can also be hurt by what you experience. Your mind can play tricks on you to make you think you’re back at that moment again. I think that’s what happened to you.” He turned and looked at her. “You fought Ganon for a century. That would take a huge toll on the most seasoned warrior. I know you trained and prayed for your entire life, but you trained for that moment when you sealed him away--not the century of fighting too. I want you to know that what happened is not your fault. It happens to many people, not just soldiers.”

“I see,” Zelda said. “Has it ever happened to you?” She almost regretted asking the question, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. His hand tensed briefly then relaxed. He nodded silently; the almost constant tension from before the fight with Ganon was back in his eyes.

“We’re in this together,” she said after a few moments of them standing together. “I know my father chose you to protect me, but long ago I made a choice to protect you as well.” She looked him into his eyes. “Let us be here for each other, Link. You were always there for me during our travels. Let me repay some of that.”

“You don’t need to worry about repaying me, Your Highness,” Link told he formally with hints of kindness. She tried to read the emotions in his eyes. It wasn’t just the burden there. It was something else, something she noticed when he was looking at her and her alone. What was it?

“Please allow me to do this for you,” Zelda pleaded. Then she looked away at the view outside. “If we can look out for each other, it offers me hope that we can rebuild Hyrule.”

“We won’t need to do much. You saved so most of it as you fought.” Zelda noticed that Link refused to answer her plea. She breathed deeply, then looked towards him. The look in his eyes had changed. A lot of his burden had faded away. His stance was slightly different too. Zelda had long had to rely on reading his body language as a means to figure out what he was thinking. She was by no means perfect, but anything helped as he tended to keep everything pent up inside of him. She was so thankful for the moments he shared his thoughts with her. They were some of the most treasured moments she had.

“Thank you for your help, Link. If I need it again, I will be sure to let you know.”

He nodded in response and gave her a small smile.

“Are you ready for your people?” Link asked. Zelda heard the unspoken alternative in his voice; she wondered if she indeed had the mental strength for visitors today. 

“For a little while.” She gazed outside. The sun still shone. The birds still sang. The warmth called to her.

“I would like to go for a walk later. Will you walk with me?” Zelda asked. She saw him nod his head in agreement.

“Good. Then let us be on our way to get settled in before we meet our people.”

\------------------------------------------------

The entire village went to Impa’s house, and everyone had a gift. Some gave Zelda clothes, while others gave her flowers. Tears flowed, and her heart overflowed with warmth and joy. The people had not forgotten her--at least Kakariko Village still cared. Zelda cared about them too. At first, Impa’s guards tried to hold off some of her well-wishers. However, Zelda felt empowered by the outpouring of love shown by everyone in Kakariko and could not turn them away. Link stayed by her side through it all, and it helped Zelda to know that a good dear friend was next to her who was more than willing to help her if necessary. Most of the people also had a small gift or words of gratitude for Link as well; Zelda enjoyed seeing his smile as he thanked everyone. Truth be told, Zelda had not ever seen Link smile for that long of a time before. She supposed now that the war was over, he was able to relax a little. She was glad for it, especially when Link laughed at a joke a little girl and her sister had made. She vaguely remembered the girls and most of the people here from her time spent watching over Link. He had really made a difference in their lives, and seeing their interactions gave Zelda hope that Hyrule would once again be a wonderful kingdom with the threat of Calamity Ganon far behind them.

Finally, the people had left, and it was a little too quiet. Zelda was thankful; it gave her time to rest. Link and Paya had brought all of the gifts upstairs, and Impa extended her gracious hospitality for as long as Zelda wanted to stay. Link had mentioned he owned a house. The thought of staying there made Zelda blush, but she trusted him more than anyone else. They were already sharing a room and had spent many days and nights together before on their travels. But with the threat of Ganon over for now, what would they---no. She shook her head. She had to rebuild Hyrule. That was going to be her most important role in this new age.

A memory of her standing before the Great Deku Tree made her falter in her thinking. She cared so strongly about Link all those years ago, and those feelings had not diminished. She would tell him soon; not now though. Now was time for a walk.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. I am so sorry for the long break. I participated in NaNoWriMo and wrote 50,000 words! So I'm really excited about that. I had written almost all of this before NaNoWriMo, but something just wasn't right. I finally figured out what it was and wrote it.

The wind lifted Zelda’s hair as she and Link walked on the path towards the shrine. Zelda felt free again, as if fighting was a long-ago memory instead of just a few days ago. Joy filled her soul as she began to run for the pure joy of running. Link easily kept beside her. Children giggled as they saw her running, and she waved to them. They eagerly waved back. She slowed as they approached the shrine at the top of the cliff. She remembered watching over Link as he made his way through the shrines. She was glad she left the Sheikah tablet for him; she was able to finally see what was inside of those mysterious shrines from years ago. 

 

She looked all around the outside of it. The shrine was shining blue now, and the door to the way down was finally open. 

 

“What shrine is this again?” She asked Link.

 

“It is the Ta’loh Naeg Shrine,” he responded after consulting the Sheikah Slate.

 

“Can we go inside of it?” She asked.

 

“Of course.” He led her to the elevator and then activated it. She flinched as it began to move down into the shrine. Excitement quickly replaced fear as the elevator continued to move down. 

 

“This is amazing,” she gasped as they came to a stop. The inside of the shrine was vast. The floor and walls were smooth and very clean after sitting abandoned for many years. She slowly walked through the shrine while remembering the challenge that Link had to complete here. This was one of the shrines that he had to fight an enemy in. She was thankful that enemy was gone now; she didn’t know if she could face an enemy with her state of mind. They passed another door in the shrine, and she recognized the dais where the shrine’s guardian sat. Every shrine had a guardian of old that vanished once Link completed the shrine and got his reward from them. The forcefield around the dais was gone now. Zelda took this as an invitation to climb onto it; there was no trace of the Guardian here.

 

“What are you thinking?” Link asked. She knew he remembered this was one of her passions before her long fight with Ganon; she smiled.

 

“It’s everything I ever dreamed,” she sighed. “I just wish I could have gotten to open it with you.”

 

“I’m sure there are more shrines I haven’t found yet,” Link said. “We could explore them together.” Zelda turned to him; warmth filled her heart. Link surely knew what to say to make her overjoyed.

 

“I would like that very much.” He offered a hand to help her climb down, and she took it. The touch made her blush even though she was used to it by now.

 

“Would you like to see the Great Fairy near here? She’s very close.”

 

“Let’s do it,” Zelda almost squealed with delight. Together they walked down the steps, back into the main area of the shrine, and then went up the elevator.

 

“It’s this way,” Link said as he walked farther up the small mountain. The forest here was beautiful, and then she saw something glowing in the distance. The sheer beauty of the fairy fountain made her gasp. She saw several blue nightshades out of the corner of her eye, and she saw Link pick them up. Several pink fairies were flying by the fountain. Link held up a finger to his mouth as a signal for her to be quiet. She nodded; she didn’t want the fairies to be frightened away by her being too loud. Together they walked up the colorful mushrooms to the large flower. When they reached the top, two large hands emerged from the flower, and the great fairy pulled herself out.

 

“Ah, welcome back, boy. I see you have brought the princess of Hyrule with you. Welcome, your highness. I am Cotera,” The Great Fairy said with a little bow of her head. Zelda curtsied in return.

 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Cotera,” Zelda said. She felt in such awe of the great fairy.

 

“Would you like me to enhance your clothing?” Cotera asked her. “With the power available to me, I can greatly enhance your clothing. While I usually make everyone make me a rupee offering, you will not have to. Your offering was made when you kept Calamity Ganon from corrupting me and this place.” 

 

“Thank you. I would love that,” Zelda said, and then she remembered she didn’t have any materials to offer her as Link had done when he visited the Great Fairy.

 

“I have some supplies you can have,” Link said. He offered a bouquet of blue nightshade flowers. The great fairy blew Zelda a kiss, and her clothes began to glow. 

 

“All finished!” The great fairy said. “Come back when you have more clothing for me to enhance. Bye!” The Great Fairy lifted her arms and twirled down into the water.

 

Zelda stared in awe at the fountain. She had never met a Great Fairy before, and Cotera took Zelda’s breath away. She stared at her clothes. They looked the same, but they felt stronger.

 

“Should we head back to town? It’s usually very safe here, but the sun is setting,” Link said. “It would be best to get back before it gets too dark.

 

Zelda tried to look at the horizon. It was rather difficult to look at it through the trees, but the sky was getting darker.

 

“Yes, let’s do that.”

 

Together they walked past the shrine and down the mountain. By the time they reached the bottom, night had fallen. Goosebumps covered Zelda’s arm as she surveyed the darkness. 

 

“Ganon’s not here,” she whispered to herself. “He’s gone; he can’t hurt me anymore.” She continued repeating that to herself in her thoughts. She thought she saw Link look at her, but the look was so fast that she wondered she imagined it. She wondered if he used his special ability to slow down time to do that, but he wouldn’t use the ability that got him to be chosen as Champion on something so trivial as checking to look at her. 

 

When they got back to the village, everything looked the same. Everyone was just happy to be there living their own peaceful lives. Zelda was grateful for that. She looked up at the slowly rising moon—it was nearly full. Her blood ran cold. She felt that the blood moon was only a few days away. What would happen on that dreadful night?


	5. Chapter 5

"Do you really have to go?" Paya asked as she sat next to Impa; the corners of her mouth turned down, and her shoulders sank.

"Yes," Link said. "I can't continue to impose on you. Besides, the princess should see more of Hyrule."

"Where will you be going first?" Impa asked as she raised an eyebrow. Link took that for curiosity.

"I would like to bring everything to my house in Hateno Village. Then, we'll just go from there."

"I would like to see the Hateno Research facility," Zelda said. "And then possibly check on the Divine Beasts. I do wonder what they did after Calamity Ganon was sealed away again."

Link nodded. He had noticed the red beams that used to point at Hyrule Castle had disappeared. He didn't think to look at where the Beasts had been; he had been more preoccupied with the woman beside him. To be honest, he still was more preoccupied with her than the rest of Hyrule. There was something in the way that her eyes sparkled when she was happy, and at night he continued to hold her so she wouldn't have as many nightmares. Not that she knew about that of course; he wasn't sure what she would think about that.

"I wish you well on your journeys. You are always welcome here," Impa said. Link and Zelda took that as their sign the conversation was over, so they went to gather their things. When they got to their room, Link looked around at all of the gifts and wondered how his horse was going to carry everything. He supposed he could make multiple trips; then again, catching a wild horse and taming it would be the fastest option. He could gather apples until he got to an open area not far from here.

"I'll pack the things I think I'll need, like the clothes and food," Zelda said.

"I'll go check on my horse and see if she's okay," Link said. A townsperson had offered to watch the horse for him.

"I'll wait here," Zelda said.

Link walked quickly down the stairs and out of Impa's house. He went down the outdoor staircase and saw Paya scurrying in the same direction he would be going to. He frowned. He could see that the girl had a crush on him, and he didn't want to hurt her. There was someone else…. There had always been someone else.

The memory of Mipha stung his heart. He remembered their first meeting when he was a child, and then again after he became a Champion. She had made a suit of armor for him and wove one of her scales into it. She wanted to marry him. He flashed back to a time when it was just them sitting as she talked, and he remembered liking her smile. But there was too heavy a weight to bear, and he couldn't afford to forget who he had to protect. And then Mipha had died.

Link tried not to dwell on it once his memory of her had returned, the sudden loss that threatened to consume him. Almost all of his friends were dead. The pain in his chest grew. He took a few deep ragged breaths and tried to bury the memories and feelings. Now was not the time for this. He had to be strong so Zelda could be strong. It wouldn't do for them both to be emotionally compromised.

A few blinks later, and he realized he had been standing still in the middle of the village. He squared his shoulders and set off for his horse. As he walked closer, he saw Paya coming towards him with his horse and a second horse. He narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Link," Paya said with a red face, "I want you to borrow this horse so that you and Princess Zelda can carry all of your things to Hateno Village. And don't worry about returning her soon, it's okay." She smiled at him and didn't make eye contact.

"Thank you," Link said as he took his horse's reins.

"Just please be good to her; she's a good person," Paya said so softly Link barely heard it. He felt his cheeks warm. Were his feelings towards the princess becoming obvious to the people around him? Paya continued speaking, "And you two are so close. It makes sense." Then Paya looked Link in the eyes and smiled. "Will you promise to take care of her?"

"I give my word," Link said, the blush fading from his cheeks.

They walked back in silence to Impa's house, and Link was grateful for the silence. He had to let Zelda know sometime soon about how he felt, but he couldn't. Not yet. It wasn't time.

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

Thankfully everything fit well on the two horses as long as Link and Zelda walked by them. Zelda was enchanted with the scenery, although he noted she looked a little nervous as they left Kakariko Village and walked through the canyon outside of the village. Then the wind picked up, and she continued to get nervous.

"Which of the divine beasts would you like to see first?" Link asked, hoping to get her mind off of whatever was troubling her.

"I suppose whichever one is closest," Zelda said. "Though I don't know if they've moved to wherever they want to move to."

"Fair enough," Link said. "What about kingdoms?"

"Perhaps Hylia."

Zelda wasn't answering him too much, but Link was okay with that. Anything to keep her talking was good. But as they continued to walk, she just grew tired looking instead of anxious. So he let her be.

Then, the canyon was widening. Finally, they were almost to Lake Siela. The wind had calmed, and he could see a mountain range ahead. It was a beautiful day with only a few fluffy clouds in the sky. Zelda's spirit seemed to lift. Zelda's mood continued to look like it was getting better.

"Should we eat lunch by the shore?"

"Sure," Link said.

"Have you noticed there haven't been any bokoblins or any other enemies?" Zelda asked as she sat.

"I have," Link said. "Maybe since Ganon was defeated, they went into hiding. It would be nice to not fight for a while."

"Well, we've always needed the knights. There will always be enemies that need defeating, and I hope one day you can train the next generation of knights."

Link chose not to say anything, but rather instead think about it. It would be nice to train more Hylians to defend the princess and others. Far too often in his travels, he saw bokoblins attacking innocent people, especially the same two girls looking for truffles in all of the wrong places. This would truly help everyone.

"I will." Link and Zelda smiled at each other before she turned to look at the grass. He watched as she examined a blade of grass like she hadn't seen one before. He wondered what she saw all of that time she was fighting Ganon. But Link knew she would share it in her own time; it would do no good to pressure her now even if her inquisitive nature seemed to be dulled.

 

\---------------------------------------------

 

It was almost time to stop for dinner when they went around a curve in the road and saw a guardian. Zelda gasped and put a hand to her chest. Link put a hand on her shoulder.

"The last time I saw a guardian, it was going to kill you," Zelda said shakily.

"It won't now," Link reassured her. "See how they're covered in moss? We're close to Fort Hateno. Most of these guardians went dormant when you started fighting Calamity Ganon."

"It's also where you came perilously close to death," Zelda said.

"And then you saved me. I never thanked you."

"You don't need to." Zelda turned around. Tears were running down her face. "I remember the man you met here when you were first making your way to Hateno Village," Zelda said. "He didn't know if the champion here died or went to sleep. It was you. You were dying."

"And that won't happen again," Link said. "Calamity Ganon is gone. The guardians should be on our side again."

"It would probably be best if they were locked away in the ruins of Hyrule Castle," Zelda said. She turned away from Link and wiped her face.

Link wanted to embrace her to let her know everything was going to be all right just as he had a hundred years ago in the same place. He tightened his fist, unsure of what to do. Last time, she had fallen into his arms. This time-this time was different. If he hugged her, it was to show his feelings, that he cared.

She gasped as he hugged her from behind.

"I give you my word the past won't repeat itself, not in our lifetime. I'm here, I will protect you, and I won't die again."

She spun around and returned the embrace as she cried.

He heard mechanical whirring nearby. He turned them around, put Zelda behind him, and unsheathed the Master Sword. A guardian was looking at them, but instead of having red lines on it, the lines were blue.

"It's been purified," Zelda whispered. Link didn't trust it, but the Guardian didn't look like it was going to attack them. It was near enough in range that it should have targeted him, but it looked away. He didn't relax his grip on his sword as they walked ever so slowly closer to it. Surely it was going to attack them, but it never did.

"Interesting," Zelda said. "Link, you may put your sword away; I think it is on our side again." Zelda cautiously walked to Link's side. "I will have to do some more research on it to make sure it never gets taken over by Calamity Ganon again. Let's leave that for another day and keep going."

"We should rest on the other side of the fort and possibly spend the night there. There is a cookpot there we can rest by," Link said.

"It sounds good."

\---------------------------------------------

"You've learned to cook while you traveled alone," Zelda said.

"I had to do some experimenting," Link replied.

"It's good," Zelda said. "Have you written your recipes down?"

"I haven't yet."

"We should get to work on that. I'll have to ask if the Sheikah slate can be modified to collect recipes."

"That would be nice. Every now and then I would forget a recipe," Link said. He rose from dinner and walked over to the horses. He began to remove all of the bags from them to allow them some real rest for the night. He rubbed his horse's neck and fed it another apple. Then he walked over to Paya's horse and fed it an apple too.

"It's amazing your horse never wandered when you left it alone," Zelda said. "You two have such a strong bond."

"She's a good horse," Link said.

Then Link got to work on setting up a tent for Zelda, one of the many presents they had gotten from the villagers. It didn't take long and was ready before it was fully dark.

"I'll keep watch while you rest," Link said. He didn't fully trust that enemies wouldn't attack them at night. He knew he could stay awake until he arrived at his house tomorrow afternoon, and then he could rest.

"Are you sure?" Zelda asked.

"Of course. Sleep well," he said.

"Thank you," she replied before crawling into the tent.

The night was quiet. Stalkoblins did not show up, and Link was grateful for that. There were a few travelers walking by, and they waved to Link. He would wave if he recognized the traveler. Mostly it was the merchants who normally traveled this road. He remembered buying things from them, and he was glad they were still traveling and selling.

And then, at almost midnight, he looked up into the sky and saw it. The blood red moon was rising into the sky.

"Link," he heard calling from the tent. He immediately rose and went to her. He pushed back the tent flap, and she was staring at him with wide frightened eyes that looked from him to the moon. "The blood moon rises once again," she said, repeating what she had said many times during his journey.

"Ganon's gone," he said. He wrapped his arms around her, hoping to maybe anchor her here instead of being trapped in her mind. "They can't rise if there's no power to raise them."

They sat in silence for several long minutes, listening for the sound of stalkoblins or any other monster. They only heard the normal sounds of nighttime.

"It's just like it was before," Link said. "Just a red colored moon that doesn't mean anything."

"But what if the moon resurrects him?" Zelda asked as her body trembled.

"You sealed him away. You ended the long night. You are free." Link hugged her tighter, hoping that Hylian contact would help break Ganon's hold on her mind.

"Why?" Zelda breathed after a few more moments. "Why can't I stop feeling scared?"

"It's because you care so deeply."

Link held her tightly as the trembling slowly faded.

"You care too, don't you?" Zelda asked.

"I do. That's why I'm still here with you." The confession came easily to him, and he felt a small weight lift from his shoulders. Maybe slowly he could tell her how he felt about her, how as he woke up he trusted her without a doubt and how as he got every precious memory back he realized that he cared about her more than a knight should.

She relaxed enough to lay her head against him.

"Go ahead and sleep. I'll keep watch over you," Link said. He watched as Zelda continued to relax and then give into her exhaustion. He gently laid her down, took off his scabbard, and laid down next to her as he did the past few nights.

He sighed. He was a knight of the royal army. A princess should be with a prince, not a knight. If she really wanted him to train other knights, surely there would be no time for them to be together, even if that was what he was really beginning to want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Undone. It was really fun for me to write this one. 
> 
> Have a wonderful holiday season!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you would like some more. I am writing this fanfic to help me get into the habit of writing every day for NaNoWriMo.


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